VIRGINIUS
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VIRGINIUS |
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NAME: Virginius COUNTY: Ouray ROADS: 4WD GRID: 1 CLIMATE: Snow in winter, pleasant summer BEST TIME TO VISIT: Summer only! |
COMMENTS:
Level 5 road to Virginius - is up in Governors Basin - very pretty location. REMAINS: Mining remnants, one large 5 story building and 2 other buildings. |
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Virginius was a predecessor to Camp Bird - as many as 400 people lived here in the 1880's and 1890's. The mine was sold to Eastern interests for $100,000, but work was hampered by the high altitude of 12,300 feet. Road to Virginius is 4WD experts only - we passed many people who started up the road and turned around. Submitted by: Todd Underwood Additional Info: The Virginius Mine is located on the SW side of Governor Basin. In the top right picture of the mountion top Article where you show the mine tracks it is at the top of the black mine tailings across the basin. The Monongahela was located below it(yellow tailings in the middle), and The Terrible Mine was at the top of the bottom tailings. Almost all the building have been destroyed by snowslides. The Caroline Mining Co. eventually obtained control of all the properties in the basin (Ref. The Great Revenue and Surrounding Mines by Doris H. Gregory, Cascade Puplications, Ouray, CO, pg 29). I visited the location in Sept. 2000 after seeing your story on it. The mine portal has been repaired by placing a T suport under a broken cross timber, and the left side wall fixed. A gate was placed at the portal to keep people out of the mine. The object that can be seen just inside the portal is an engine to pull ore cars and it is in excellent condition. I hope no one will damage it. Also while the road up Governor Basin is narrow, steep, and rocky it wasn't to bad for experienceed 4-Wheelers. However make sure you stay to the right about 2/3 of the way up. The left road goes into Sidney Basin and will rate a 7 or 8 on a 10 scale (it got VERY interesting). As a side trip don't miss the wild flowers and water fall up Yankee Boy Basin.- John R. Martin
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